Heaven or Hell
by madchilla
Summary: Chaos is running amok throughout the village. Rumors of witchcraft and satanism are spreading like fire. What did Ciel and the other children do in the woods the other night?


The spring evening was cold. The villagers bundled up in their winter coats as they continuously passed the Durless home, all glancing at the cottage to get their look. Even the servant girls took a peak. Through the window, Ciel watched them look and whisper with one another. His glazed over eyes blankly gazed at the village in front of him. The sky seemed so blue to him, much like the color of his eyes—endlessly blue. However, he knew dusk was nearing; that blue would disappear.

He didn't want the blue to leave him. He desired to be one with the blue. He lifted his leg and placed his knee on the windowsill, before hoisting his other knee up as well. He ducked his head under and up, and, gripping the sill tightly, raised to his feet. The brisk wind bit at his nose. He continued staring, dazed. Ciel lifted his chin, upping his nose to those below him. That was it. He was ready to let go. Leaning forward, he dropped his right hand first. He took a deep breath. Grinning, his other hand dropped. He would become the sky.

He gasped not at the plunge, but at the harsh grip of his wrist. His body was pulled back by multiple grasps. "Ciel!" A woman screeched. She wore a crimson dress and her matching vibrant hair was tied back into a braid. "What on Earth do you think you're doing?" His aunt clutched him tightly to her chest and stroked his hair. She tilted his head up to meet his eyes. "What were you doing by the window?"

Ciel cocked his head. "Flying," he mumbled.

Angelina gasped dramatically, and pulled him closer into her embrace. "This is what I mean, Father Rathbone! He's been acting so strange since 3 days ago." Miss Angelina wasn't used to Ciel being quiet and calm. Even after his parents had died, Ciel remained his usual outgoing and energetic self.  
"I see. Now, Miss Durless, what makes you believe this is the work of the Devil?" Pastor Jeremy Rathbone was anything but a dunce. The tall, slender man was well aware of the boy's condition.

Angelina walked Ciel to the small cot in a corner of the room and tucked him under the covers, taking a seat on the mattress. "You see, I caught him and a few of the village children alone in the forest three days ago. There was a small fire and I swear I could see some sort of satanic pattern in the dirt."

The pastor nodded, "Did you see what was drawn in the dirt?"

Angelina shook her head. "I did not. It was too dark; however, since then, Ciel has been acting strange. He has never been so to himself before. He has been out of it, as well. You saw! He tried to fly out of the window!" She let her attention go to Ciel, who stirred on the bed.

Father Rathbone hummed, "That is most definitely odd, yet, I see nothing that seems at all demonic. You mentioned earlier that his parents perished in a fire not too long ago. Did you not? Surely that caused some sort of upset, no?"

"I did. He hasn't acted any different since the fire, so I was shocked to see him so odd."

Nodding, Father Rathbone said, "Please continue. As of now, I have yet to find anything that could link young Ciel with Lucifer, but I fear you have more to say. Am I right?"

"You are right. His eye has been bothering recently. I called the doctor as soon as I noticed its redness, but doctor found no sign of infection, yet it's so red and inflamed!" She exclaimed.

"Surely you are not claiming the devil has made his mark on this boy based on an irritated eye, Madam?" Father Rathbone kneeled in front of the bed and asked the young boy for permission to inspect his eye. Ciel nodded.

Angelina gasped, dramatically, "Of course not, Father! Am I loony? At first I thought he might have had the plague, but I've called every doctor in the village and none of them had an explanation for it. I swear something evil happened in the woods out there."

Inspecting Ciel's right eye carefully, the priest hummed. "It seems like a case of pink eye, yet the sclera looks more violet than pink. Does it hurt, Ciel?"

Ciel shook his head. "It doesn't hurt but it's kind of itchy," he said.

Father Rathbone nodded, "I am no doctor, but it certainly seems to be something along the lines of pink eye. It's hard to believe that all the village doctors looked over something as defining as this. Now, Ciel, what was it that you were doing in the woods the other day?"

Ciel visibly gulped, "We were just playing tag, Father." All was true, in a sense. The children were running away from one another all in jest before a man appeared through the trees.

"Who were you with?" Father Rathbone questioned.

Ciel hesitated. His aunt rested her hand on top of his shoulder, rubbing gently. "I was with Elizabeth and the Macken boys from the village." This was not a lie. All the children were there. He chose to omit the tall man clad in all black.

"I saw an adult with them," Madam Angelina added, causing the priest to turn his head toward her. "I could not see whether they were a man or a woman, though. They moved too quickly for me to get a glimpse."

Father Rathbone turned back toward Ciel. "Were there any adults with you in the woods three nights ago?"

"There were not." The man claimed to be something else—something not human.

Father Rathbone rose to his feet. "Madam Durless, I see nothing evil in this boy, and I am sure that you are aware of my reputation about these issues. I have never been wrong. It seems that the stress of Ciel's parents' death is slowly, but surely catching up with him. He is a young, naïve boy that recently lost his parents. You will have to be patient with him. You have to understand that what Ciel is going through is incredibly difficult, especially for a twelve year old child. Give him the love that he yearns and in time, he will be healthy once more."

Madam Angelina extended her hand, shaking the priest's. "Thank you very much, Father, for taking a look at him. I'm so embarrassed to have believed it was something so horrific."

Father Rathbone smiled, "No need to be embarrassed, Madam Angelina. Ciel is very lucky to have such a caring aunt to care for him after such a tragic event. Especially since—"

Before he could finish, the priest was interrupted by the door to the small room slamming open, revealing the Durless' butler, Grell Sutcliff. "My Lady, you have to come quick! Half of the village is on fire!" He rasped, panting for breath.

"What do you mean half the village is on fire?" The woman barked. The yelling was too loud for Ciel. He lied back into the mattress and covered his ears with his feather pillow, trying to drown out the sounds.

"Houses and buildings, My Lady, they're up in flames! The villagers are all running around, screaming and going crazy."

Angelina grabbed the priest's wrist, "Why is this happening, Father? Why is this happening to us?"

Cutting off the priest, Grell chimed in, "Word says that it was that Macken boy. You know that unstable one. They say he went insane and lit his house up with a torch."

Father Rathbone turned back to Ciel on the bed. "You said you were with the Macken boys the other night, is that correct." Ciel nodded. "Did either of them seem a tad odd to you?"

Ciel hesitated, but shook his head. "Jim always came off a bit odd to me."

"Was he acting any different than he usually does?" Rathbone continued.

Ciel paused, thinking. "I suppose he was. He was alright when we were playing tag but he got real quiet when the man showed up." His eyes widened. He hadn't meant to say that. He swallowed thickly, knowing just what it was that he let slip.

His aunt spoke first, "What man, Ciel? You never mentioned a man before."

The boy attempted to smile. "There was no man, Aunt Anne. I was kidding, that's all. It was just a joke." He faked a weak chuckle.

Madam Angeline was at his side in an instant, her hands on his shoulders, shaking him. "Ciel, this is no time for a joke! Half of the village is burning because of that Macken boy! Do you realize how important this is? You need to tell us the truth. What were you and the other children doing in the woods?"

Grell cleared his throat, causing the woman to look at him. "Madam, please pardon me for interrupting, but there is hearsay that witchcraft was involved. Wordsmith spread the news not long after Father Rathbone arrived. The entire village is talking about young Ciel's rendezvous with the dark Lucifer. Perhaps that has something to do with this chaos?"

Facing her nephew once more, Angelina asks gently, "Ciel, you have to be honest with me, now. If you were toying with witchcraft, the only way to forgive your sin is if you confess. Did you or any of the other children have contact with the Devil?"

Ciel stared at his aunt, remorseful. After a moment, tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Aunt Anne," he whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.

The woman pulled him close, embracing him. "Oh, Ciel, why would you do this? Did that lunatic, Macken force you to do it?"

Sniffing, Ciel responded, "No, Jim had nothing to do with it. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, but he promised to show me Mother and Father, again. I just wanted to see Mother and Father," he sobbed.

Angelina kissed the side of his head. "Who promised you?"

"It wasn't the Devil, Aunt Anne, I promise you! He told me he was an angel from Heaven, he did. He showed me he wings and everything! He drew a star in the dirt with a stick and took my hands. He promised to show me Mum and Dad! His eyes flashed pink and then—then I saw them…Mother and Father.

"They told me that everything was alright and that they loved me. They said they miss you, too, Aunt Anne! They made me sign a book that promised I'd never, ever forget them, and they—"

"You signed a book, boy?" Father Rathbone barked?

Ciel moved himself closer into his Aunt's embrace, nodding. "How could you be so dunce, boy?" The priest shouted. He glared at Madam Angeline, "This boy," he growled, pointing at Ciel, "Your nephew has sold his soul to Satan. You were right, Madam Angeline. Ciel already made his place in the arms of the Devil. Do you realize what he has done, and not just him, but the other children, as well? The have caused turmoil on this village and Lucifer will return once more with a vengeance. He will destroy all of us, looking for the souls of our children. You realize what must be done, woman?"

Horror painted Angelina Durless's face. "You can't possibly mean—No! I will not let you!" She shouted at the priest. "You are our minister! You are supposed to help him, not offer him up on a silver platter!"

"I am terribly sorry, Miss Durless, but there is absolutely nothing I can do. Satan has already made his mark and shown his wrath. There is nothing else that we can do but give him what he wants." He turned to the butler, "Mr. Grell, please bring this unholy boy down to the gallows. I will fetch the other children involved and they shall all receive their punishment before anymore hell is struck upon us."

Ignoring the screams of his master, Grell pried Madam Angelina off of Ciel and threw him over his shoulder. The boy sobbed, banging his fists against the butler's back. "No!" He screamed, "Please don't! I was tricked! I was tricked by a demon! I just wanted to see Mum and Dad again, why don't you believe me? I was tricked!"

The screams continued down the path approaching the gallows, rounding up more and more of the village's population as an audience.

Before Ciel knew it, he was lined up with three others. Young Elizabeth Midford stood beside him, wearing a plain brown dress and her hair done in curls. On the other side of him stood little Luka Macken, missing a suspender, with his ginger hair ruffled. He held the hand of his older brother, Jim. He stood proud, with his chin pointing up and his blond bangs shielding his wild eyes.

The village crowded in a circle to watch as the children were led to the stools in the center of the pit. Father Rathbone stood from the rest, smirking at the site of ropes being wrapped around tiny necks. One by one, a stool was kicked over, until four pairs of feet kicked, struggling. Father Rathbone knew that the Devil wanted these innocent souls to feast upon. His eyes flashed pink.

Oh yes, this is what he wanted.

* * *

_Thank you my lovely girlfriend, Keru, for reading over this for me _


End file.
